# How to clear Mini Acne??



## Aniger86 (Sep 27, 2005)

I don't know if any of u have this problem. I have plently of small bumps on my face. I don't think its mila, nor is it really acne. I once consulted a few dermatologists &amp; they all said the same thing- its small blemishes that is caused by oil production(there's a proper name for these kind of blemishes but I can't remember it. I think its something that spells comdy...).

One of the dematologist said that the only way to make my skin completely clear is to take rancene(wrong spelling...) as its the ONLY THING(&amp; this I quote from him) that stops/ regulates oil production. He said that even if I do go for chemical peels, I can't get rid of all the small blemishes on my face as chemical peels could only remove the top layer of the skin, 'clear away' the ance, but not stopping it because chemical peels can't regulate oil production. What do u guys think 'bout this? Anything to recommand that I could try? Thanx!!


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## girl_geek (Sep 27, 2005)

It sounds like you have the same thing as me, I get lots of small red acne bumps, and my dermatologist said it was clogged pores caused by my excessively oily skin. ("true acne" requires the presence of a certain bacteria, which apparently I don't have.) However he never mentioned rancene or anything like it!

He did give me some prescription acne creams to help clear up the acne and dry up a little bit of the oil, but not stop it -- he never said the goal was to stop the oil, just reduce/control it. (In fact, when I complained that my face was still too oily and shiny, he just recommended using creams that absorbed the oil rather than adding more prescriptions to stop the oil.) We tried several medications, but the ones that ended up working best was a combination of Clindagel and Tazorac.

However there were many other things he said to help keep extra oil off my face (e.g. oils from makeup, hair products, etc) and to keep my skin clean so the oil doesn't have much chance to clog the pores! Everything he told me is in my notepad; just click the link in my signature!






When I was using the Clindagel, Tazorac, and following all the rules he gave me, I still had shiny, oily skin but very little acne -- normally no more than one or two bumps at a time, if that. I have since quit the prescriptions thinking I could save money and am currently using Stridex Maximum Strength (2% salicyclic acid) twice a day and Neutrogenia On the Spot Treatment (2.5% benzoyl peroxide) once a day which is clearing up a lot of the acne but I still have more than I did when I was on the prescriptions.

Hope that helps!


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## BeneBaby (Sep 28, 2005)

I too have this form of mini-breakouts. For me they are small whitish bumps under the surface of the skin. They never turn into red inflamed pimples, they just stay in the pore. I believe they are called comedos or clogged pores. My doctor prescribed a topical antibiotic cream called Clindomycin. I has helped a little, but the small bumps are still there. I have tried masks, scrubs, pore strips.....everything? I think all makeup just clogs my pores.


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## bocagirl (Sep 28, 2005)

You could try DDF BP Gel with Tea Tree Oil, it works very well.


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## wafflebox (Sep 28, 2005)

I have that too except mine are skin-colored. I know they're just clogged pores but when I asked my derm about it he prescribed acne clearing products which did nothing for it except dry it out. I don't know if he even took what I said in consideration =/ I've had them for like ever


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## anne7 (Sep 28, 2005)

I too have skin-colored or white bumps, mostly on my cheeks, but I also get them on my arms. I went to my doctor, and they are called Keratosis Pilaris (KP), and they are just clogged follicles. They are caused by irregular skin cell shedding. He said there is nothing that can permanently make them go away, since it is a chronic condition (and actually a majority of people have them, to different extents). He did say that using drying products would do nothing, that exfoliation works better, and lactic acid is your best bet. He suggested AmLactin, which you can get w/o a prescription at a pharmacy, or get a stronger version with a prescription. I used it for awhile, and it did help, but I stopped using it. I should go get a new prescription and try it again. You have to use it religiously, or it won't work, so that's probably why I stopped using it.



Hope that helps.


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## Aniger86 (Sep 28, 2005)

Originally Posted by *girl_geek* It sounds like you have the same thing as me, I get lots of small red acne bumps, and my dermatologist said it was clogged pores caused by my excessively oily skin. ("true acne" requires the presence of a certain bacteria, which apparently I don't have.) My skin is more combination than excessively oily(however, I still get breakouts even on my cheks &amp; my foundation does tend to 'melt' from the oil in a couple of hours), but my derm. said that my clogged pores are caused by the oiliness on my face, as the same in your case. I have got some red bumps like yours, but mainly, my are like *BeneBaby's* small white bumps, comdeys. 

Originally Posted by *BenyBaby* I have tried masks, scrubs, pore strips.....everything? I think all makeup just clogs my pores. I have also tried pretty everything which was why I consulted derms. in the end. Not that they helped much though...Do your white bumps get worse or are the same amount constantly present but not getting worse? Over the past few years, my have gotten worse(making me switch from using only liquid foundation to now using only compact form!)...

Originally Posted by *bocagirl* try DDF BP Gel with Tea Tree Oil Is this an ance clearing gel? Or is it something specially formulated to clear comdeys? From what my derm. told me, he said that he couln't really prescribe me with any acne cream coz what I have is not really ance &amp; acne creams usually work well only on bigger obvious acne, while my(the small white bumps) can only get help with chemical peels, &amp; even then, it controls the bump production, not stop it



...


Originally Posted by *wafflebox* I have that too except mine are skin-colored. I know they're just clogged pores but when I asked my derm about it he prescribed acne clearing products which did nothing for it except dry it out. I don't know if he even took what I said in consideration =/ I've had them for like ever wat did your derm prescribed? I was prescribed Stiva cream, a Tretinoin cream, Dalacin gel &amp; diffrin gel by one of my derm. But all the other derms that I saw later on said that while each of these are good when used separately, they trigger even more acne when used together...

Thanx everyone for your replys! U all have been most helpful


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## Aniger86 (Sep 28, 2005)

Originally Posted by *anne7* I too have skin-colored or white bumps, mostly on my cheeks, but I also get them on my arms. I went to my doctor, and they are called Keratosis Pilaris (KP), and they are just clogged follicles. I get KP on my hands but I'm not really bothered by them. I guess its coz its on my hands not face...


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## girl_geek (Sep 28, 2005)

Originally Posted by *Aniger86* I have also tried pretty everything which was why I consulted derms. in the end. Not that they helped much though...Do your white bumps get worse or are the same amount constantly present but not getting worse? Over the past few years, my have gotten worse(making me switch from using only liquid foundation to now using only compact form!)... I would switch to a non-comedogenic liquid foundation if I were you! As I mentioned in my notepad, most pressed powders contain oils which are used to press the powder into the compact!


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## Ayacalypso (Sep 28, 2005)

I believe that the white bumps are called "comedones" hence, "non-comedogenic."


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## Aniger86 (Sep 28, 2005)

Originally Posted by *girl_geek* I would switch to a non-comedogenic liquid foundation if I were you! As I mentioned in my notepad, most pressed powders contain oils which are used to press the powder into the compact! Oh, I didn't know that. Thanx for the tip



However, there are other factors as to well I don't use liquid now. One is that I am now suffering from enlarged pores &amp; when I use liquid foundation, the liquid seeps into my pores, also, the strange thing is that all my liquid ftd r turning orange on me all of a sudden...thankfully I recently purchased an oil free compact(DiorSnow but I don't know how gd it is since I haven started using) that I could use. I'm going to give 1 of my other liquid ftd another try though before I make the switch....
Thanx again


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## FeistyFemme (Sep 28, 2005)

I had the same problem, but they're pretty much gone now! What worked for me is Finacea (from my derm), and then I use benzoyl peroxide in the mornings, and a 1% BHA solution at night.


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## Liz (Sep 28, 2005)

i've got these little bumps on my forehead too. it's like i cant' get them out either. i'm waiting for some differin in the mail to see if that helps me.


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## girl_geek (Sep 28, 2005)

Originally Posted by *Aniger86* I have got some red bumps like yours, but mainly, my are like *BeneBaby's* small white bumps, comdeys. Small white bumps? I'm not sure if that's the same then. Although now that I think of it, before I found some good medications I used to get patches of small pink or flesh-colored bumps on my forehead -- like groups of 10 or 20 bumps all next to each other, it was gross! But once I started using medications those cleared up, and I'm just left with the occasional pink or red bump that the medicine doesn't kill





Originally Posted by *Aniger86* told me, he said that he couln't really prescribe me with any acne cream coz what I have is not really ance &amp; acne creams usually work well only on bigger obvious acne, while my(the small white bumps) can only get help with chemical peels, &amp; even then, it controls the bump production, not stop it



... Hm, even though my derm said I had clogged pores (though I don't think he ever told me the scientific name) and not "true" acne, he still gave me acne treatments and they helped a lot. (Or rather, they helped clear up the bumps -- nothing helps the oiliness though!) I tried Differin and several others and they worked fairly well, but the Clindagel and Tazorac that I mentioned earlier are acne medications and worked really well!
You know, it would never hurt to talk to another dermatologist and get a second opinion!



Or maybe you really do have a different condition than me and maybe your derm's right that acne medications won't work!


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## Aniger86 (Sep 29, 2005)

Originally Posted by *girl_geek* You know, it would never hurt to talk to another dermatologist and get a second opinion!



Or maybe you really do have a different condition than me and maybe your derm's right that acne medications won't work! I have consulted 4 so far



. The 1st derm. had given me stuff that would actually worsen my condition(at least that's what the next 3 after her said). The last 3 had simply gave me a cleanser, toner, sunscreen etc. Basically, its skin care products, not medication. I had spent a bomb on the 4 of them &amp; will not be able to consult another derm. for quite some time


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## Aniger86 (Sep 29, 2005)

Originally Posted by *Liz* i've got these little bumps on my forehead too. it's like i cant' get them out either. i'm waiting for some differin in the mail to see if that helps me. Does diffrin get rid of bumps? I had thought that it gets rid of blemishes. I have used it before &amp; juz to caution u, the acne does get worse before getting better. So if u have any big event coming, don't start on diffrin 1st as the breakout would worsen. 

Originally Posted by *FeistyFemme* I had the same problem, but they're pretty much gone now! What worked for me is Finacea (from my derm), and then I use benzoyl peroxide in the mornings, and a 1% BHA solution at night. Thanx!! I think u r the only one so far in this thread who have gotton rid of the bumps. The rest of us r have yet to find anything suitable..


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## Liz (Sep 29, 2005)

Originally Posted by *Aniger86* Does diffrin get rid of bumps? I had thought that it gets rid of blemishes. I have used it before &amp; juz to caution u, the acne does get worse before getting better. So if u have any big event coming, don't start on diffrin 1st as the breakout would worsen. 


Thanx!! I think u r the only one so far in this thread who have gotton rid of the bumps. The rest of us r have yet to find anything suitable..

i don't know if it will get rid of the bumps. but i do have blemishes, so i want to get rid of those.


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## girl_geek (Sep 29, 2005)

Originally Posted by *Aniger86* Thanx!! I think u r the only one so far in this thread who have gotton rid of the bumps. The rest of us r have yet to find anything suitable.. Well, as I mentioned earlier, the Clindagel and Tazorac *almost* got rid of my bumps! I never had more than one or two at once (which could easily be covered with mu), and many days I had no bumps! I was perfectly happy with that, the only thing that bothered me was that my face was still oily and shiny. Differin in combination with Clindagel worked fairly well for me also, but the Tazorac was just a little bit better




The benzoyl peroxide and salicyclic acid I'm currently using have cleared up all the bumps on my forehead but I just still have some on my cheeks, though still not as many as with no medicine!

Sorry to hear that you already spent your money on 4 dermatologists though! I guess you will have to just pick one, or start experimenting with over-the-counter treatments! And once you start going to a dermatologist on a regular basis, they may change your treatment -- I had to go back to mine every 6-12 months and he often changed my medicines on those visits until we found the best combination! (All the medications we tried worked fairly well, but it took us 3 or 4 years to find the best ones!)

Good luck!


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## Aniger86 (Sep 30, 2005)

Originally Posted by *girl_geek* Well, as I mentioned earlier, the Clindagel and Tazorac *almost* got rid of my bumps! I never had more than one or two at once (which could easily be covered with mu), and many days I had no bumps! I was perfectly happy with that, the only thing that bothered me was that my face was still oily and shiny. Differin in combination with Clindagel worked fairly well for me also, but the Tazorac was just a little bit better




The benzoyl peroxide and salicyclic acid I'm currently using have cleared up all the bumps on my forehead but I just still have some on my cheeks, though still not as many as with no medicine!

Sorry to hear that you already spent your money on 4 dermatologists though! I guess you will have to just pick one, or start experimenting with over-the-counter treatments! And once you start going to a dermatologist on a regular basis, they may change your treatment -- I had to go back to mine every 6-12 months and he often changed my medicines on those visits until we found the best combination! (All the medications we tried worked fairly well, but it took us 3 or 4 years to find the best ones!)

Good luck!





Congrets on having gotten rid of the bump, I guess when I was replying, I had forgotten the stuff I read eariler on in the thread- I have a bad memory



. Do u think it's ok to get my family doctor to prescribe clindagel &amp; Tarozac? Or should I wait till I can see a derm. again to have my skin properly examined? Thanx!


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## girl_geek (Sep 30, 2005)

I have no idea -- different medicines work best for different people, so I'm not sure if those would be the best for YOU, they were just the best for me! But it wouldn't hurt to talk to your family doctor since it sounds like you're getting pretty frustrated with your dermatologists!


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## alyt6 (Oct 1, 2005)

Try drinking a glass of water everyday right when you get up in the morning and drink green tea. But try to stay away from cafine, white sugar, and white flour. It kinda sound crazy but it worked for my friend. She went on the cafine diet. Try it for a couple weeks. It just might work!!


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## girl_geek (Oct 1, 2005)

Here is a very interesting article I found on oily skin .... the author even recommends Tazorac as her favorite medication




I thought that I would have grown out of my acne now that I'm 24 and thought that using over-the-counter treatments would save me money, but I might have to switch back the prescriptions some day!

http://www.dermadoctor.com/pages/new...7ACB6A32A13%7D


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## Aniger86 (Oct 1, 2005)

Thanxxxx for the advice everyone!(esp. girl_geek- u answered so many of my questions



)


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## fiji (Oct 2, 2005)

I have those annoying skincolored bumps on my cheeks too. My facalist said they were clogged pores and nothing I use topically for acne will help unless I exfoliate (scrub) 2x a week. She said they are from oil clogged in the pores, and they were free radical damage and i needed vitimins to protect my skin. They don't go away, and they are super deep in the pores.


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## robinoja (Oct 6, 2005)

Hi! This topic rang true with me so I thought I would add my "two cents"! I have had those little white bumps on my forehead just appear in the past year, and had never experienced them before. After using Mary Kay "basic cleanser" and having success with it for over 8 years, I was perplexed. Well, after thinking about it for awhile and realizing the needs of our skin change throughout our lives, I decided to switch to the Mary Kay "timewise 3-1" cleanser and moisturizer (which has a gentle exfoliating property in the cleanser)and to add a thin layer of acne treatment gel (active ingred. benzoyl peroxide) underneath the moisturizer every morning and night. The results have been amazing! The bumps completely disappeared in only two weeks, and they have not been back since. It has been a month and a half now since changing products. I am so happy! Being a Mary Kay consultant, I know that fact about our skin changing over time, and it still took me a year to figure it out! Gentle, daily exfoliating is very important and crucial to preventing buildup on our skin that contributes to those little bumps forming. I was not getting that with my other cleanser.


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## sukkimi (Oct 26, 2005)

i have mini acne at my forehead and next to my eye area. Might because of too much oil from my moisturiser.

I'm using proactive - repairing lotion to get rid of them. So far, it works, my forehead acne are lesser and invisible


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